Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-21
WELL PLEASED WITH IT.
Eugene j. Gregory's Opinion of the Citrus
Fair at Chicago.

; Eugene j. Gregory's Opinion of the Citrus
Fair at Chicago.
Among the passengers who arrived from
the East yesterday morning was Eugene J.
Gregory, OF this city, who went to Chicsgo
as one Of the managers Of the Citrus Fair.
He was in splendid health and spirits, but
glad to get back here. as all Sacramentans
are, and enthusiastic over the success of
the enterprise, which he went East to assist
in advancing. Business called him to San
Francisco yesterday afternoon, but
RECORD UNION representative had few
minu conversation with him, during
which he gave his opinion substantially as
follows
The fair was an assuredssuccess, the re-
suit meeting my expectations in the fullest
sense. Notwithstanding the fact that the
exhibit opened and continued under the
disadvantages arising from an extreme
cold spell, varying from zero to 200 below,
which had the effect of preventing an in
creased attendance, think the association
can well rest in the satisfaction of having
secured the direct and personal attention of
the majority of representative Eastern peo-
pie to the character and excellence of the
fruit exhibited, whereby the management
were enabled to satisfactorily demonstrate
the validity of our claims in favor of Cen
trail and Northern California against all
other portions of the State. The. universal
opinion of both expert and casual OBJ
servers was that the fruit was, without
doubt, the finest ever seen in Chicago AS
one proof will quote the voluntary asser-
ton made by the largest fruit merchant in
Chicago, who, after slight examination,
unhesitatingly pronounced the quality
the finest he had ever seen, and further
gaveit as his judgment that, while the best
stock in the Chicago market was selling
at So so per box, he could readily realize
So per box for the average oranges exhib-
tied in the fair, because of the fruit being
more uniform in size, color, solidity and
richness of flavor than those grown in any
other commercial section-not excepting
the Palermo, Messina or Mediterranean
! products. This verdict was in accord with
the entire Eastern fruit trade. l give it as
the evidence of experts on citrus products.
! One may easily deduct the practical infer
encc from such evidence, as it readily dem
onstrates all we may wish to claim for our
portion of the Golden State, and the re-
suits of our efforts will be shown in the
| near future. No pains were spared in the
effort to give full prominence to the merits
of Central and Northern California, espe-
cially in demonstrating the character, quail
| ity and worth of soil, ETC., as compared
with southern sections. | am much pleased
| to be able to report that the arguments
offered were convincing and fully appre-
ciated that many home-seekers are now
turning their attention to the right direc-
| ton, and that it is question of the near
future when our facilities will be largely
sought for and taken advantage of by the
i IL n1n Of,
1.-THE exhibit was unfortunate enough to
strike $50 below zero blizzard in transit,
and the fruit was naturally frozen solid as
rocks. Knowing that, so long as it could
be kept in frozen state, it would retain
its color and size, due care was taken to
prevent the temperature of the hall becom-
ing high enough to cause a thaw-though
it was quite difficult problem to meet the
requirements of the spectators and the con-
dition of the fruit at the same time. How
ever, We managed to take care of both until
the natural and continued warmth of the
room was asserted, and the oranges, ETC.,
had begun to show the effects of thawing.
Then we decided to close the fair-but not
| for reason of decay. Contrary to the usual
rule, the stock merely lessened in size, but
| we lost none by either rot or decay-an-
other fact that demonstrates our superior
| ity over all other sections in orange culture,
in the production of unirrigated fruit. This
! fact was also remarked upon by the experts.
:" i can state as a sort of summary, that
all spectators expressed unqualified sur
prise at the quality and earliness of the
exhibit, and | am very sanguine in the
belief that the result of this initiatory effort
| to advertise the heretofore unknown lin
the Eastern States) citrus. belt of Central
and Northern California will soon be as
serted, and measure with the fullest expec-
tations of every denizen thereof For my
self-as a native of sal citrus be,t-I
feel more than repaid for all the inconve-
niencies suffered in opening and closing
| inopportune date for opening in Chicago
our going forward hereafter with the calcu-
lation of opening in that city at no later
date than December 18th. Then we may
claim much more attention than was our
| fortune to receive in the present instance.
| We gave out about 5000 complimentary
| invitations to representative people of Chi
cago and other Eastern cities, and the
greater portion of these invited visited Us
despite the cold weather, and ! am satisfied
| that another year there will be 4 rush to
see the exhibit, peoples curiosity and de-
sire for inform ltion having been aroused.
1t was not our oranges and lemons alone
that surprised the good people back there.
Everything exhibited challenged comment.
Our raisins were deemed especially good,
and when, as test, box OF imported
Dehesa raisins was put in with those OF the
exhibition, none were able TO designate
which it was"